Lucky 13

Below, see the 12 pairs of shoes I have either returned or am about to return all of which were purchased in search of the perfect wedding shoe:










And perfect pair #13:

Oh, DKNY Blyss, how do I love thee?

PS. I did also purchase these awesome Nine West rain boots that I fully plan to wear with my dress any time I am outside of the wedding venue. But they were never seriously in contention for being the all-night shoes, so they don't count as part of the search, really.

I've mentioned a few times what a big internet junkie I am, and this is just further evidence in support. Of the 14 pairs of shoes listed here, only one was purchased in person from an actual store with a front door and a register. I even bought one of the online pairs twice! And returned it twice! My first wedding shoe purchase and last purchase were both from Zappos.com and everything in between (except for the one bricks and mortar purchase) were from Endless.com, which is run by Amazon. Both offer free shipping and free return shipping, and Endless offers free overnight, while Zappos is usually just a couple of days (and if you ask them any customer service question, they're likely to upgrade you to free overnight).

So, if you think it sounds like a hassle to return (for free) 11 pairs of shoes purchased online, just think of all the time and walking I saved myself from having to physically hunt down those shoes, or a comparable assortment. Not to mention the effort it would have taken me to get out of the office during shopping hours. Did my cubicle neighbors laugh when I'd get 3 pairs of silver shoes shipped to me and then try them on at work? You bet. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Anyone else have an online shoe-shopping story?

Images from Zappos, Amazon, Nordstrom, or Bizrate.